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Story Highlights

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP – Students at Wilson Elementary School helped out an African school a quarter at a time.

The students raised money for a charity organization called Ripple Africa, which provides donations and volunteers specifically for the country of Malawi in East Africa.

The name of the organization is based on the “ripple” effect of how a good work can have a broad and far-reaching impact.

The name is also applicable to how the Wilson students became involved.

Former Wilson fourth-grade teacher Jenny Hamerstadt was doing volunteer work in Malawi as part of Ripple Africa. She was a teacher in Malawi, which she said is considered one of the poorest countries in Africa.

Hamerstadt had been posting about her trip on a blog which was seen by Wilson Principal Bob Buck.

Buck asked if there was any way the school could help out.

Students at Wilson initially collected around 400 pencils for the Malawi schools. “Even something as simple as a pencil is a treasure to them,” Hamerstadt said.

Buck suggested going even further by raising money through a “A Clash of the Quarters” competition in which each grade collected quarters that would go to the schools.

Students involved with the Wilson Leadership Team spearheaded the effort.

“We thought it would be a fun way to collect the money,” said fourth-grader Ava Jump.

A video with pictures taken by Hamerstadt in Malawi was shown to the Wilson students.

“A lot of (our classmates) don’t know what is going on in another country,” said fourth-grader Clare Stiles, who along with Jump is involved with the Leadership Team. “They felt they needed to help and bring more quarters.”

From Feb. 13-28, more than $6,000 in quarters and cash was collected. The donations will go toward repairing and upgrading the Malawi schools.

“It was so symbolic doing this in conjunction with our own construction,” said Wilson counselor Jean Bode.

A new Wilson is currently under construction. The new building is expected to open next school year.

“It was a humbling experience for our kids to see the need (in Malawi),” Bode said. “Hopefully, (it) fostered a feeling of gratitude for what we have.”

An additional benefit is the construction will provide additional jobs as well as build community cooperation, Hamerstadt said.